Yarn winding machine



Feb. 19, 1963 s. FURsT YARN WINDING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 24, 1959 Feb. 19, 1963 s. FURs-r 3,078,054

YARN WINDING MACHINE Filed Feb. 24, 1959 2 sheets-sheet 2 2 FIG. 4

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v I Hill United States Patent Ofi-ice 3,078,054 YARN WENDENG MAQHHNE Stefan Frst, Monchoix-Gladbach, Germany, assigner to Walter Reiners, Mnnchen-Gladbach, Germany Filed Feb. 24, 1959, Ser. No. 795,151 Claims priority, application Germany Feb. 24, 1958 6 Claims. (ill. 242-655) My invention relates to a yarn Winding machine which comprises a multiplicity of individually operating winding units or stations of which each is provided with its own fault-sensing control means and which have in common a single servicing unit that is movable along the entire group of winding stations and is temporarily active at any individual station Whose fault-sensing means has responded fo-r causing the servicing unit to remove the fault in that station. Such multi-station Winding machines with a single mobile servicing unit are illustrated and described in the copending applications Serial No. 691,632, tiled October 22, 1957, Serial No. 796,049, filed February 27, 1959, and Serial No. 728,139, led April 14, 1958, all assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

in winding machines of the above-mentioned type, stoppages of the Winding operation in the individual stations supervised by the servicing unit are automatically eliminated by yarn-end seeking and kno-tting devices of the servicing unit. When the fault-sensing means in any one of the winding stations responds to trouble or stoppage, the servicing unit when next passing by that station is arrested under control by the fault-sensing means of the troubled station and the seeking and knotting devices are actuated for returning the station to normal operating condition. As a rule, the fault-sensing means in each station consists of a yarn guard, or feeler which engages the yarn at a point where it travels from a supply coil to a take-up spool. The guard performs a deliecting movement in response to absence of yarn at that location.

Since automatic servicing units of the above-mentioned type are costly, it is desirable to utilize them as economically as possible and to assign to them as many individual winding stations as feasible. With respect to a large number of normally occurring stoppages, such automatic servicing units operate satisfactorily to return the winding sta-tions back to normal operation. For example the stoppages due to exhaustion of the yarn supply coil in the individual winding stations take place in approximately regular intervals of time. Furthermore the average number of yarn breakages which occur in a given length of yarn can be determined statistically, and then can be satisfactorily eliminated by assigning one or more such automatic servicing units to service a group of winding stations. However, there always remain a residual number of disturbances which the automatic servicing unit cannot completely eliminate. When such a disturbance occurs, the servicing unit when travelling by the winding station, or vice versa, becomes permanently occupied for an undesirably long period of time Without being capable of eliminating the cause of the winding stoppage at that particular station. During such period the servicing unit is not available to the other winding stations of the machine. The result from economy viewpoints is that the servicing unit can attend practically to only a smaller number of winding stations and hence is not utilized to full advantage.

t is an object of my invention to increase the eiiiciency of the servicing unit and to make a common servicing unit economically applicable for a greater number of individual winding stations than has heretofore been practical.

According to my invention, I provide the individual Winding station of a multi-station machine with automatic means that eliminate a particular winding station from the operating cycle of the common servicing unit so that the unit will no longer stop at a winding station and will not attempt to eliminate a fault that cannot be satisfactorily or economically coped with by the unit.

According to a more speciiic feature of my invention, I provide each of the winding stations in a machine of the above-described type with a timing device which compares the working time required for the actual winding operation and/ or the periods of rest and which, when a given datum value of one or the other measured period or the ratio or difference of both periods exceeds a given value, takes the Winding station out of the range of operating performance of the common servicing unit and, if desired, also terminates the Winder drive of the Winding station thus aected.

According to a more specific feature of my invention the above-mentioned timing device is of the self-zeroing type so that, after each timing operation is started and is terminated by a servicing operation of the servicing unit, the timer will reset itself gradually back to zero. lf another servicing operation of the unit commences before the timer has returned to zero, the unexpired resetting period adds itself to the new timing period until, after a given number or frequency of occurrence of such servicing operations, the timer reaches a point Where it acts to take the winding station out of service.

Particularly suitable as such a self-zeroing timer for the purpose of the invention is a heated bimetal member who-se heating is effected, preferably electrically, during the particular measuring period under observation. The bimetal member acts directly or indirectly on a switchoff member or the control switch for putting the relatively movable, common servicing unit into operation. Por'example, the bimetal member when suticiently deflected, may place a movable control member of the winding station to an inactive position in which the travelling servicing unit, when passing by that station, is no longer switched into operation. However, the bimetal member may also act directly or indirectly upon the yarn guard of the Winding station. If desired, the bimetal member may also act upon the control means of the individual winding station itself. For example it may serve to arrest the winding station aside from performing the abovementioned function with respect to the servicing unit. It is preferable to use the bimetal member as a latching member which, when deflected into unlatching position, releases a pre-tensioned spring or other poWer-storer to perform the control operation proper.

The above-mentioned and other objects, advantages and features of the invention will be apparent from the embodiment described hereinafter with reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. l sho-Ws schematically an individual winding station and a servicing unit located opposite that Winding station, both in normal operating condition; and

FIG. 2 illustrates the same winding station with a deflected bimetal member which prevents that winding station from being serviced by the servicing unit.

PIG. 3 is a schematic and simplified front view, from the servicing side, of a multi-station Winding machine.

FG. 4 is a cross section through one of the winding stations according to FIG. 3, with a servicing tender being located at that station, the enclosure of the machine being shown cut-off to reveal the interior.

The machine frame structure 1 of the illustrated Winding machine carries a number of individual winding stations designated generally as 1h13 (FIG. 3). One such station is visible in the view of FIG. 1. Each Winding station has a frame 3 pivoted at 3a to an arm 1 of the machine structure. A take-up spool 2 is journalled on the frame 3 and rests under its own weight and the weight of frame 3 upon the periphery of a yarn guiding drinn a FIG. l) and entrain the take-up spools 2. Eachtake-upV spool then operates `at substantially constant peripheral speed regardless of the diameter of the package of yarn wound upon that spool, until the package is completed. During the winding operation the yarn F passes through a groove in the periphery of guiding drum 4 onto the spool 2. The groove forms aclosed loop` around the. eriphery of the drum 4 andY extends axially of the drums so that the yarn F, during winding operation, is reciprocated axially along the take-up spool 2 in order t0 produce a cross-wound yarn package. The yarn F is taken from a supply coil 21 such as a spinning cop which iS stationarily mounted. The yarn passes from supplycoil 21 through a yarn tensioner 22 which is mounted on the frame structure of the winding station. The frame structure 1 further carries a pivot shaft 6 on which a control or lockout lever 5 is mounted. One end of lever 5 forms a stop 8. The lever 5 is subjected to the biasing force of a tension spring 7 tending to move the lever clockwise. The stop 8 is Vnormally engaged by the end ofa bimetal strip 9 mounted on frame structure 1 and provided with an electric heater winding 10. The heater winding 10 is connected into an electric circuit 19 to` a suitable current source S, such as a utility line and is controlled by a pair of contacts 17, 18 in the circuit which are normally open. The lever 5 has an arm 5' located opposite an arm 11 of a yarn guard, 12 which is pivotally movable about a shaft 13. `The yarn guard 12 is essentially a mechanical feeler or sensing means which engages the yarn F as long as it is kept in taut condition between the tensioner 22 and the yarn guiding drum 4. When. the

supply coil 21 is exhausted or the yarn breaks, the guard 12 deliects into the dot-anddash position 12 shown i11 PIG. 1.

The control means of the winding station may be such that any such deflection of the yarn guard 12 in response to absence of yarn will cause the frame 3 to be liftedA 14. When the yarn guard 12 deflectsto the dot-and-dashposition 12' shown in FIG. l, due to occurrence `of yarn breakage or depletion of the supply coil `21, the arm 14 enters intolthe travel path of aswitch control member 15 which is rotatably mounted on the common servicing unit 16 of the machine. Member 415 is spring-biased so that it normally remains in vertical position to closelcontacts (not shown), to actuate drive means 106 to'cauSe unit 16 to travel along the various winding stations. When arm 14 enters into the travel path, arm 15 deects, causing the latch 131 to engage a boss 151 on thecarrier 104, as more fully described hereinafter, and unit 16 stops. At the same time that arm 14 moves downward, the

detlected yarn guard 12 closes the contacts 17, 18 and` energizes the heater winding 1l).

The combination comprising elements 9-10-7 and circuit 19 thus forms a self-zeroing plus-minus energystoring device which accumulates heat energy while contacts 18 are closed, to deflect member 9 and coolsfor A decay of the stored energy while contacts 18 are open.VY

5, under the force of spring 7, turns clockwise into the position shown in FG; 2. During such motion of lever 5, the arm 5 entrains the arm 11 of yarn guard 12 and moves the yarn guard counterclockwise away from the path of the yarn F so that thereafter the yarn guard 12 remains inactive, i.e. incapable of moving into position 12'.

When the servicing unit 16, during its regular travel along the multiplicity of winding stations, passes by the one station illustrated in FIG. l, the control member 15 abuts against the arm 14 and is turned from its normal vertical position. This movement of member 15 has the effect of arresting the servicing unit 16 and of causing its servicing devices to locate and seize the 'broken yarn ends and to` thereafter tie the yarn ends together by means of a conventional knotter 141 (FIG. 4). As soon as the y'arn ends are tied Aand tension again` exists in yarn F, yarn guard 12 is forced back by the yarn F from position 12 into the full-line position `shown in FIG. l, and the winding operation of the station then continues. Simultaneously, arm 14 swings out of the path of member 15, which springs back toits vertical position to disengage the latch 1,31 from boss 151; the chain 108, kept under tension by the slip clutch 155, further described below, entrains pin 154 of the servicing unit 16, and the servicing unit travels to the next winding station.

In the machine illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, two lateral standards 101 and 102 of the machine frame or carrier structure are connected with each other by a tubular horizontal carrier 1&4. Mounted above the carrier 104 are a number of individual coil winding stations generally designated as 103 along which a servicing tender 16 may travel. The` tender 16 carries the servicing devices required for eliminating the faults and stoppages of the coil,winding operation in the respective winding stations. A motor 106 drives, by means of transmission 107, two endless chains 168 and 109 (FIG. 4). The chain 168 serves to entrain the tender 16 along the machine. The chain 109 serves for driving the servicing devices of the tender 16. Conventional reversing or limit switches can beused to reverse the motor at the travel limits of the p tender;

The lateral standards 1M and 102 of the machine frame structure, are connected with each other not only by the tubular carrier 194 but also by a bottom rail 120, a horizont-al carrier 121 for the tensioners 22 and anuppet tubular rail,122 which carries the individual stations 103. Mounted on the upper rail 122 is an arm 1 extending in a vertical plane. A supporting member 259` (FIGS. 3, 4) serves for bracing the tubular carrier 104. t A

InFlG. 4, the supply coil 21 is shown by dot-and-dash lines in the position occupied when the coil is being unwound. The supply coil 21 is carried by a pivotally mounted thorn 167 which can be turned about its pivot so as'to be located in the end portion of a trough 115. In this position of thorn 167, a supply coil 21 arriving from above in the trough is automatically speared up on the thorn. Thereafter, a spring (not shown) auto4 matically returns the thorn 167 into the unwinding position. Located between the yarn tensioner 22 and the yarnrguiding drum 4 is the yarn guard 12 which continuouslytests the operation fortpresence of the yarn F and whicrhkturns clockwise to position 12 in the event of yarn failure. A double-armed `lever 11, 14 is fastened to the yarn guard 12 in the vicinity of the pivot axis 13 The fault-responsive pivoting motion of the guard 12 in the clockwise direction to position 12' causes the winding station to be stopped in the known manner by lifting the take-up spool 2 off the guiding drum 4.` Since the mechanism required for such stopping operation is known as such it is not illustrated herein in order not to obscure the components essential to the invention proper. Lever arm"1'4'in'V relation with arm 15 forms a switching segment,v and arm 11 serves also for resetting the yarn guard'12.

lfIhe tenderv'tlnit 16 has lrunning wheels 124 which roll along the tubular carrier 104. Rollers 124s journalled on the tender 15 serve to guide the tender along the bottom rail 12%. At least o-ne of the two wheels 124 can be pulled od its shaft; and the tender 16 can then be lifted out of the assembly. For this purpose, the tender is turned about the axis of the bottom rail 120 and can then be lifted past the upper rail 122. The insertion of the tender is eiiected in the opposite manner. For facilirating such removal or insertion, the last location 1ll3a (FIG. 3) on the multi-station machine may be left vacant or the indiivdual winding station located at this point can be made removable.

Mounted on tender 16, at the servicing side thereof, is a switch arm 15 (FGS. 3, 4) which is kept in approximately vertical position by a pulling spring 12ga. Switch arm 15 is fastened to a shaft 127 which carries a crank 128. Rotating motion of switch arm 15 thus causes the crank 123 to entrain a spring 129i: to move a stop pawl 130 in the upward or downward direction. The motion of stop pawl 13d is also imparted to a latch 13'.. When latch 131 is thus moved downwardly, it can enter into the center bore of a boss 151 on carrier 104, thus arresting the tender and latching it to the tubular carrier ifi. The pawl 13@ and the latch 131 cooperate with a cam disc 132 which has a cam notch 13d into which the pawl 13@ can enter, whereby the pawl arrests the cam disc. Cam disc 132 has a cam groove 133 and a dog 135. In a given rotational position of groove 133, a control lever 136 carrying a spur-gear segment 137 can enter into the groove. Segment 137 meshes with a pinion 15S which is connected with a suction tube 139 for conveying the yarn end to be found and seized.

Linked to the control lever 156 is a driving tappet 14d (FIG. 4) for a knotting device 1411. The dog 135 of cam disc 132 cooperates with a projection 143 of a control lever 1412 so that, during passage of dog 135, the lever M2 is shifted counterclockwise about its pivot and then pushes a return tappet 1%5, in opposition to springs 12M and 129:1, against the return lever arm 11. When dog 135 passes beyond the projection 143, the control lever 142 returns to its illustrated position,

Schematically shown at 146 (FIG. 4) is a conveying arm which is pivoted on the tender 16. It is understood that arm 146 has the customary thread-engaging means such as a suction nozzle, and is connected to a source of suction 11i?, as is more fully described in the above-mentioned copending application Serial No. 728,139. At the start of the yarn-end iinding operation, the arm 1456 turns from the uppermost position, shown in dot-and-dash line downward toward the yarn tensioner 22 and into the solid-line position 1de in order to thereafter convey the yarn end, then located in the tensioner 22, upwardly to the knotter 141. Such knotting devices are known as such, and for that reason are not shown and described herein in further detail.

The tender 16 has a suction conduit 152 whose lower end sequentially communicates with lateral openings 154i of the tubular carrier 1114 as the tender 16 travels along the carrier. Each opening 151i (PEG. 4) is normally covered by a lid 1419. As the tender approaches, the lid is turned away from the opening 15G so that then the suction conduit 1517s becomes connected with the suction system o1 which the carrier 1114 forms a part. Conversely, when the tender leaves a winding station, the lid 149 is released and then automatically closes the suction inlet opening 15%. The suction conduit 152 provides vacuum pressure for the suction tube 139 of the yarn-end finding device.

The endless chain 1% has one of its chain members provided with an entrainer pin 15d (FIG. 4) which projects into a vertically elongated slot 156 in the tender structure and thereby entrains the tender to travel back and forth along the tubular carrier 111i. However, since the tender 16, whenever needed, is stopped by the latch 131 in front of an individual winding station, a slip clutch the chain 11i@ is temporarily arrested as long as the tenderV is stoppe-d. In contrast thereto, the endless chain 109 rO- tates continuously about its sprockets and, as soon as the tender 16 is stopped, actuates a step-down transmission 157 whose rotation is transmitted by a chain 158 and a spur gear 159 through a slip clutch 160 onto a shaft 161 which carries a worm 162 driving the cam disc 132.

When starting the operation of the multi-station winding machine, the tender 16 iirst travels from station to station and, by means of its switching arm 1S, feels whether the yarn guard 12 in each station has turned into the fault-responsive position 12 shown by full lines in FIG. 4, thus signalling that a knotting or coil-exchanging operation is needed. The fault-responsive movement of yarn guard 12 has the effect of turning its switch arm 14 into the travelling range of the switch arm 15 on the tender so that when the tender passes by, either from the left or the right, the arm 1K1 turns the switch arm 15 in one or the other direction. Such turning movement of arm 15 is transmitted through shaft 127 to crank 123 which, irrespective of the direction of rotation, turns the pawl 13@ and the latch 131 downward. Now latch 1331 enters into the center bore of boss 151 and arrests the tender 16 in front of the winding station, while the operation of that station is also stopped. Now the step-down transmission 157 is placed in rotation by the continuously rotating chain 159. rransrnission 157 then acts through chain 15d, spur gear 159, slip clutch 151i, shaft 151, and worm 162 to drive the cam disc 132 in the direction identiiied in FlG. 4 by an arrow. The control lever 136 can now drop into the cam groove 133 and entraine the spur gear segment 137 counter-clockwise, thus rotating the pinion 131% clockwise. The suction tube 139 fastened to pinion 133 now turns from its lowermost (not illustrated) position upwardly. Since at this time the suction channel 1 1S of conduit 152 is in communication with the opening 151') of the tubular carrier 10d at the location of the winding station being served by the tender, the vacuum is effective to produce a current of suction air at the nozzle end of suction tube 139. This air current sucks the free yarn end of the take-up spool 2 into the tube 139. For this purpose, the take-up spool 2 is preferably turned slowly in the reverse direction by known means (not illustrated).

During further rotation of carri disc 132, the control lever 136 again turns back in the clockwise direction, and the suction tube 13? of the yarn-end lnder device again turns downwardly, thus entraining the seized yarn end from the takeup spool 2 into the immediate vicinity of the knotter 141. At the same time the conveying arm 146 has passed from its uppermost (dot-and-dash) position to the lowerrnost (full-line) position 146 where it seizes the yarn end coming from the supply coil 21. During the next following return travel in the upward direction of arm 1de, the latter yarn end is also placed against the knetter 141 which now ties both yarn ends together.

ln the meantime, the cam disc 132 has turned to the position where its dog presses against the projection 143 of control lever 142 and thus pushes the return tappet 145 toward the left for a short interval of time. The tappet movement acts upon the lever arm 11 of the yarn guard 12 and resets the guard so that the winding station is ready for further operation. When the knotting operation is satisfactorily performed, the winding station now continues the winding-up of the take-up spool 2. If the knotting operation has failed, then the yarn guard 12 does not remain in its lowermost position and thus initiates a repetition of the abovedescribed servicing operation.

immediately after the dog 135 has passed beyond projection 143, the stop pawl 13d enters into the notch 134 of cam 132. This releases the latch 131 from the boss 151, and the chain 163, kept under tension by the slip clutch 155, entrains the tender 16 by means of the en- 7 trainer pin 154, The tender 16 then travels vto ,theV next following winding station where, if needed, the servicing operation is initiated and performed in the same manner as described above.

The self-zeroing timing device will now be described in detail. Due to the energization of heater winding lit), the bimetal member 9 if heated for a suirlcient length of time, gradually deiiects to the position shown in FIG. 2, thus releasing the stop 3, so that the control lever is turned clockwise about pivot 6 by spring 7. The heating element 10 for heating the bimetal strip 9 to a temperature Where it can deflect sufficiently to release arm 5 and 5' is so dimensioned that such heating to that temperature requires a certain length of time before the strip 9 can release the stop 8. This period of time is of a predetermined length so that the travelling servicing unit 16 can at least once, preferably several times, pass by the Winding station and can attempt to eliminate the disturbance i.e.,4v

thread break, machinery malfunction, etc. If the first try of the servicing unit 16 has the result of eliminating the disturbance or stoppage of the winding operation, the bimetal strip will again cool down andthe normal winding operation continues. However, if shortly after the` rst try of the servicing unit the disturbancel continues or the same or a similar disturbance occurs, the unit will perform a second and in some cases a third try so that the bimetal strip is again heated. Since the bimetal strip requires a suicient amount of time for self-zeroing, i.e. cooling to room temperature before it d eects back to the position of` PIG. l, any disturbances following each other in short intervals of time will commence while the bimetal strip is still retaining some amount of heat. After two or three repeated heatings of the strip, it will pass into and remain in the position shown in FiG. 2, and consequently, arm 5 will restrain arm4 11 toward the left, thus taking the troublesomewinding station out of the operating range of the servicing unit 16 by arresting the;

arm 14 in the position shown in FIG. 2 where it cannot engage the control member 15 of unit 16.

If desired, the deflection of control lever 5 may also be used for operating a signalZS, for example by closing a switch contact 24 by means of extension arm 25xedly attached to swingable arm 5, as shown in FIG. 2. TheA signal calls attention of the attendant personnel to theA that may result from malfunctioning of the machinery, an.

unusual number of stoppages may also occur due to the use of faulty or weak yarn material which breaks frequently.` The device according to the invention is also of advantage in the event of such unduly frequent interruptions and permits a simple supervision with respect to the quality of the yarn material being wound. Repeated and unduly frequent interruptions of operation are indirectly a measure of that yarn quality. Whenever the winding station is removed from the supervisory and corrective activity of the servicing unit, and as the case may be, when the signal is energized by the control device, this calls the attention of the attendant, and he can in each case rapidly determine thecause of the fault and can thus take care of placing the winding station back to normal operation and to normal operating speed.

While the present specication mentions generically multi-station winding machines it will be understood that the machines embraced by this term are not necessarily limited to a straight-line arrangement of winding stations serviced by one or more servicing units, but thisterm is also intended to embrace Winding machines in` which the various winding stations are peripherally arranged, such as those described in my copending application Serial No. 691,632, tiled October 22, 1957, and it hencemay beembodied in devices other than particularly illustrated and described herein, without departing from` the essential features of my invention and within the scope` of the claims annexed hereto.

I claim:

l. A multi-station yarn winding machine comprising a group of individual winding` stations and a servicing unit common to said stations and engageable with said respective stations for eliminating stoppage therein, one of said group and unit being moveable relative to the other for placing said unit sequentially into servicing relation to said respectivestations, each of said stations having yarnengaging sensing means responsive to yarn absence to move from a normal position into a fault-responsive position, a movable control member connected with said sensing ,means and deectable to an active position under `control by said sensing means due to response of the latter, said control member being engageable by said servicing unit `to cause servicing operation of said unit only when said control member is in` said active position, a selfzeroingtiming device including plus-minus energy storing` means having a given rate of `decay of the stored energy,` said energy storing meansbeing operatively connected` with said sensing means and controlled thereby to accumulate energy in a plus sense only while said sensing` means is in lsaid vfault-responsive position and` to cause decay of` the stored energyin a minus sense` while the i sensingmeans is in said normalposition, said` given rate.

for restraining the `latter in an inactive position out of the` engaging range of said unit, whereby servicing operation` of said servicingunit is prevented on a troublesome winding station.

2. A multi-station yarn winding machine comprising a group of individual winding stations and a servicing unit common to said stations and cngageable with said respecf tive stations for eliminating stoppage therein, one of said group and unit being movable relative to the other for placing said unit sequentially into servicing relation to saidrespectivc stations, each of said stations having yarnengaging sensing means responsive to yarn absence to move from a normal position into a fault-responsive posi-V tion, a movable control member connected with said sensing means and detlectable to an active position under control bysaid sensing means due to response of the latter, said control member being engageable by said servicing unit to cause servicing operation of said unit only when said control member is in said active position, each of` said winding stations having a self-zeroing timing device including plus-minus energy storing means having a given rate ofdecay of the stored energy, said energy storing meansbeing provided with a bimetallic member deiiectable from a zero position to a deflected position and heating means for detiecting same operatively connected with saidsensing4 means yand controlled thereby to heat said bimetallic member only during a time when said` sensing means is in said fault-responsive position, the cooling period interval necessary for returning said bimetallicmember from said deiected position to said zero position being an interval longer than a normal servicing period of said unit, a lockout lever blockingly engageable by said bimetallic member in said zero position of the latter and movable into controlling connection with said control member, movement of said lockout lever to said controlling connection causing said control member to move to an inactive position out of the engaging range of said unit upon occurrence of a given remainder of heating time accumulated in said energy storing means suflicient to hold said bimetallic member in said deflected position, whereby servicing operation of said servicing unit is prevented on a troublesome winding station upon accumulation in said timing device in a plus sense of a given excess of fault-response time over running time in a respective station.

3. A multi-station yarn winding machine comprising a group of individual winding stations and a servicing unit common to said stations and engageable with said respective stations for eliminating stoppage therein, one of said group and unit being movable relative to the other for placing said unit sequentially into servicing relation to said respective stations, said servicing unit having outwardly projecting switch means and each of said stations having yarn-engaging sensing means responsive to yarn absence to move from a normal position into a faultresponsive position, a movable control member connected with said sensing means and deflectable to an active position under control by said sensing means due to response of the latter, said control member being engageable by said switch means orr said servicing unit to cause servicing operation of said unit only when said control member is in said active position, each of said winding stations havinfr a sel-zeroing timing device including plus-minus energy storing means having a given rate of decay of the stored energy, said energy storing means being provided with a bimetallic member deiiectable from a zero position to a deflected position and heating means for dellecting same operatively connected with said sensing means and controlled thereby to heat said bimetallic member only during a time when said sensing means is in said fault-responsive position and to cause cooling of the bimetallic member for decay of t-he stored energy while the sensing means is in said normal position, the cooling period interval necessary for returning said bimetallic member from said deflected position to said zero position being an interval longer than a normal servicing period of said unit, a lockout lever blockingly engageable by said bimetaliic member in said zero position of the latter and movable into controlling connection with said control member, movement of said lockout lever to said controlling connection causing said control member to move to an inactive postion out of the engaging range of said unit upon occurrence of a given remainder of heating energy accumulated in said energy storing means sufcient to heid said bimetallic member in said dellected position whereby servicing operation of said servicing unit is prevented on a troublesome winding station upon accumulation in said timing device in a plus sense or a given excess of fault-response time over running time in a respective station.

4. A multi-station yarn winding machine comprising a group of individual winding stations and a servicing unit common to said stations and engageable with said respective stations for eliminating stoppage therein, drive means operable to move said unit relative to said stations and for placing said unit sequentially into servicing relation to said respective stations, said servicing unit having outwardly projecting switch means operatively connected to arrest said unit and to initiate servicing operations when said switch means is in a dellected position, each of said stations having yarn-engaging sensing means pivotally mounted on said machine frame and operable to move from a normal position into a fault-responsive position in response to yarn absence, a movable control member rigidly connected with said sensing means and del'lectable therewith to an active position under control by said sensing means due to said response of the latter to yarn absence, said control member in said active position being engageable by said switch means of said servicing unit to dellect said switch means to its dellected position to thereby cause servicing operation of said unit only when said control member is in said active position, each of said winding stations having a self-zeroing timing device including plus-minus energy storing means having a given rate of decay of the stored energy, said energy storing means being provided with a latching member dellectable from a zero position to a dellected position and electrical means operable only when said sensing means is in said fault-responsive position for deilecting same gradually toward said deliected position and for causing dec-ay of the stored energy While the sensing member is in said normal position, lever means blockingly engageable by said latching member in said zero position of the latter and pivotally mounted on said machine and swingable from a locked to an unlocked position and engageable in its unlocked position with said sensing means to restrain the latter in said normal position regardless of the existence of a yarn-absence condition, biasing means for urging said lever means toward said unlocked position, an electrical circuit having contact means controlled by said sensing means in said fault-responsive position to energize said electrical means, said latching member in said zero position restraining said lever means in said locked position, the time interval necessary for deecting said latching member from said deflected position to said zero position bein-g an interval longer than a normal servicing period of said unit, said lever means in said unlocked position being engageable with said control member for moving said control member to an inactive position out of the engaging range of said switching means of said unit upon occurrence of a given amount of time accumulated in said electrical timing means suilicient to hold said latching member in said deected position and thus to release said lever means into said unlocked postion, whereby servicing operation of said servicing unit is prevented on a troublesome winding station upon accumulation in said timing device in a plus sense of a given excess of fault-response time over running time in a respective station.

5. A multi-station yarn winding machine comprising a group of individual winding stations and a servicing unit common to said stations and engageable with said respective stations for eliminating stoppage therein, drive means operable to move said unit relative to said stations and for placing said unit sequentially into servicing relation to said respective stations, said servicing unit having ontwardly proiecting switch means to arrest said unit and to initiate servicing operations when said switch means is in a deflected position, each of said stations having yarnengaging sensing means pivotally mounted on said machine frame and operable to move from a normal position into a fault-responsive position in response to yarn absence, a movable control member rigidly connected with said sensing means and dellectible therewith to an active position under control by said sensing means due to said response of the latter to yarn absence, said control member in said active position being engageable by said switch means of said servicing unit to detlect said switch means to its deflected position to thereby cause servicing operation of said unit only when said control member is in said active position, each of said winding stations having a self-zeroing timing device including plus-minus energy storing means having a -given rate of decay of the stored energy, said energy storing means being provided with a bimetallic latching member deflectable from a zero position to a deflected position and heating means for detlecting same, lever means blockingly engageable by said bimetallic member in said zero position of the latter, said lever means being pivotally mounted on said machine and swingable from a locked to an unlocked position under control by said latching member and engageable in said unlocked position with said sensing means to restrain the latter in said normal position regardlessk cooling of the bimetallic member for decay of the stored energy while the sensing means is in said normal position, said latching member in said zero position restraining said lever means in said locked position, the cooling period interval necessary for returning said bimetallic latching member from said detlected position to said zero position being an interval longer than a normal servicing period of said unit, said lever means in` saidl unlocked position being engageable with said controlmember for moving said control member to an inactive position out of the engaging range of said switching means of said unit upon occurrence of a given remainder of heating .energy accumulated in said energy storing means suflicient to hold said bimetallic latching member in said deflected position and thus to release said lever means into said unlocked` position, whereby` operation of `said servicing unit is prevented upon accumulation in said timing device in a plus sense of a given excess of fault-response time over `running time in a respective station. t

6. A multi-station yarn winding machine comprising a group of individual winding stations and a servicing unit common to said stations and engageable with said respeck tive stations `for eliminating stoppage therein,` drive means operable to move said unit relative to said stations and forplacing said unit sequentially into servicing relation to said respective stations, said servicing unit having outwardly projecting switch means to arrest said unit and to initiate servicing operations when said switch means is in a detiected position, each` of saidstations having sensing means pivotally mounted on said machine frame and operabletto move from a normal position .into a fault responsive position in response to yarn absence, a movable control member deflectable due to saidresponse of.

lever means being pivotal'ly mounted on said machine and swingable from a locked to an unlocked position under control by said latching member and engageable in said unlocked position with said sensing means to restrain the latter in said normal position regardless of the existence of a yarn-absence condition, biasing means for urging said lever means toward said unlockd position, an electrical circuit having contact means controlled by said sensing means in said fault-responsive position to energize said heating means only when said sensing means is in said fault-responsive position and to cause cooling of the bimetallic member for decay of the stored energy while the sensing means is in said normal position, said latching member in said zero position restraining said lever means in said locked position, the cooling period interval necessary for returning said bimetallic latching member from said deected position to said zero position being an interval longer than a normal servicing period of said unit, said lever means; in said unlocked position i being engageable with said control member for moving said control member to an inactive position out of the engaging range of said switching means of said unit upon occurrence of a given remainder of heating energy accumulated in said energy storing `means sufficient to hold said bimetallic latching memberin said dellectedposition and thus to release said lever means into said unlocked position, andY signalling means operably connected for actuation by said lever means in said unlocked position, whereby-servicing` operation of said servicing unit on a troublesome winding station is prevented upon accumulation in said timingV device in a plusA sense of a given excess of fault-response time over running time in a respective station and attention of operating personnel is directed to the troublesome-Winding station.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,736,505 Furst Feb. 28, 1956 2,752,103 Furst June 26, 1956 2,752,104 Furst a June 26, 1956 2,874,344- Slocum Feb. 17, 195,9 

1. A MULTI-STATION YARN WINDING MACHINE COMPRISING A GROUP OF INDIVIDUAL WINDING STATIONS AND A SERVICING UNIT COMMON TO SAID STATIONS AND ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID RESPECTIVE STATIONS FOR ELIMINATING STOPPAGE THEREIN, ONE OF SAID GROUP AND UNIT BEING MOVEABLE RELATIVE TO THE OTHER FOR PLACING SAID UNIT SEQUENTIALLY INTO SERVICING RELATION TO SAID RESPECTIVE STATIONS, EACH OF SAID STATIONS HAVING YARNENGAGING SENSING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO YARN ABSENCE TO MOVE FROM A NORMAL POSITION INTO A FAULT-RESPONSIVE POSITION, A MOVABLE CONTROL MEMBER CONNECTED WITH SAID SENSING MEANS AND DEFLECTABLE TO AN ACTIVE POSITION UNDER CONTROL BY SAID SENSING MEANS DUE TO RESPONSE OF THE LATTER, SAID CONTROL MEMBER BEING ENGAGEABLE BY SAID SERVICING UNIT TO CAUSE SERVICING OPERATION OF SAID UNIT ONLY WHEN SAID CONTROL MEMBER IS IN SAID ACTIVE POSITION, A SELFZEROING TIMING DEVICE INCLUDING PLUS-MINUS ENERGY STORING MEANS HAVING A GIVEN RATE OF DECAY OF THE STORED ENERGY, SAID ENERGY STORING MEANS BEING OPERATIVELY CONNECTED 